“That was the first and last time that I ever killed a braceof lions right and left， and， what is more， I never heard ofanybody else doing it. Naturally I was considerably pleasedwith myself， and having again loaded up， I went on to lookfor the black-maned beauty who had killed Kaptein. Slowly，and with the greatest care， I proceeded up the kloof， searchingevery bush and tuft of grass as I went. It was wonderfullyexciting， work， for I never was sure from one moment toanother but that he would be on me. I took comfort， however，from the reflection that a lion rarely attacks a man—rarely， Isay； sometimes he does， as you will see—unless he is corneredor wounded. I must have been nearly an hour hunting afterthat lion. Once I thought I saw something move in a clump oftambouki grass， but I could not be sure， and when I trod outthe grass I could not find him.
“At last I worked up to the head of the kloof， which madea cul-de-sac. It was formed of a wall of rock about fifty feethigh. Down this rock trickled a little waterfall， and in front ofit， some seventy feet from its face， rose a great piled-up massof boulders， in the crevices and on the top of which grew ferns，grasses， and stunted bushes. This mass was about twenty-fivefeet high. The sides of the kloof here were also very steep.
Well， I came to the top of the nullah and looked all round. Nosigns of the lion. Evidently I had either overlooked him furtherdown or he had escaped right away. It was very vexatious； butstill three lions were not a bad bag for one gun before dinner，and I was fain to be content. Accordingly I departed backagain， making my way round the isolated pillar of boulders，beginning to feel， as I did so， that I was pretty well done upwith excitement and fatigue， and should be more so before Ihad skinned those three lions. When I had got， as nearly as Icould judge， about eighteen yards past the pillar or mass ofboulders， I turned to have another look round. I have a prettysharp eye， but I could see nothing at all.
“Then， on a sudden， I saw something sufficiently alarming.
On the top of the mass of boulders， opposite to me， standingout clear against the rock beyond， was the huge black-manedlion. He had been crouching there， and now arose as thoughby magic. There he stood lashing his tail， just like a livingreproduction of the animal on the gateway of NorthumberlandHouse that I have seen in a picture. But he did not stand long.
Before I could fire—before I could do more than get the gun tomy shoulder—he sprang straight up and out from the rock， anddriven by the impetus of that one mighty bound came hurtlingthrough the air towards me.
“Heavens！ how grand he looked， and how awful！ High intothe air he flew， describing a great arch. Just as he touched thehighest point of his spring I fired. I did not dare to wait， for Isaw that he would clear the whole space and land right uponme. Without a sight， almost without aim， I fired， as one wouldfire a snap shot at a snipe. The bullet told， for I distinctly heardits thud above the rushing sound caused by the passage of thelion through the air. Next second I was swept to the ground（luckily I fell into a low， creeper-clad bush， which broke theshock）， and the lion was on the top of me， and the next thosegreat white teeth of his had met in my thigh—I heard themgrate against the bone. I yelled out in agony， for I did notfeel in the least benumbed and happy， like Dr. Livingstone—whom， by the way， I knew very well—and gave myself up fordead. But suddenly， at that moment， the lion’s grip on my thighloosened， and he stood over me， swaying to and fro， his hugemouth， from which the blood was gushing， wide opened. Thenhe roared， and the sound shook the rocks.
“To and fro he swung， and then the great head dropped onme， knocking all the breath from my body， and he was dead.
My bullet had entered in the centre of his chest and passed outon the right side of the spine about half way down the back.
“The pain of my wound kept me from fainting， and as soonas I got my breath I managed to drag myself from under him.
Thank heavens， his great teeth had not crushed my thighbone；but I was losing a great deal of blood， and had it notbeen for the timely arrival of Tom， with whose aid I loosed thehandkerchief from my wrist and tied it round my leg， twistingit tight with a stick， I think that I should have bled to death.
“Well， it was a just reward for my folly in trying to tackle afamily of lions single-handed. The odds were too long. I havebeen lame ever since， and shall be to my dying day； in themonth of March the wound always troubles me a great deal，and every three years it breaks out raw.
“I need scarcely add that I never traded the lot of ivory atSikukunI’s. Another man got it—a German—and made fivehundred pounds out of it after paying expenses. I spent thenext month on the broad of my back， and was a cripple for sixmonths after that. And now I’ve told you the yarn， so I willhave a drop of Hollands and go to bed. Good-night to you all，good-night！”